La Paella
Posted by: calgaryjustice on: October 10, 2008
- In: Favourites | Mediterranean | Pasta | Spanish
- 2 Comments
The Spanish Restaurant on the corner of 800-6th Avenue SW, Calgary
Today is my last day at General Prosecutions, and we decided to go to this Spanish restaurant as I really wanted to go there. I have seen this restaurant on an almost daily basis on my way to and fro work, but nobody knew anything about it. When I suggested this restaurant, much to my surprise, I was asked by many people what Spanish food was like and whether it was very spicy.
So, five of us trotted along the 6th Ave today, namely Cristian, Lil, Elizabeth, Abby and Ginni and we were mersmerised by the interior as soon as we walked through the door. I am going to be as gentle as possible today, as I am told my remarks are rather ‘scathing’ at times! But it is hard to pack up the claws when you have to give an honest opinion 
There is quite a lot to see – what with the little granite lined pond full of floating flowers and sea shells, pots and pans on the walls, and other intricate hand painted pots, its hard not to look around like a little school kid! Its nice and clean and very authentic looking, and one of the nicest restaurants we have been to so far.
The restaurant host was fantastic, he was very polite and courteous and almost ‘butler like’ if you dressed him up in a Tux. He took our orders, including special requests without having to write them down, which is a rare thing nowadays. I had gotten used to repeating myself (thanks to my accent) at least twice before they understand what I am looking for, so it was a pleasant surprise.
The white tablecloths were immaculately starched, cutlery was clean and shiny and very presentable. We were given a bread basket whilst we waited for the main course, and the bread rolls were nice and warm. I was almost taken in for them being fresh until I had the bottom half of my roll and realised they were just reheated. But hey, it was a fantastic deception that left us wanting more!!
I had their daily special, which was one of the most succulent and juicy Salmon steaks in a delicious creamy lemon/orangey sauce, served with boiled broccolli, carrots and a roast potato (I had asked them to replace the rice they normally would have served it with). It was absolutely scrumptious and yes, there is a but. I was surprised to see the tell-tale water floating in my plate from the vegetables. I was so taken in by the salmon, that I ignored it and carried on eating 
Lil and Elizabeth had the Fettucine Mare Monte and they loved it too as it had the fresh Crab and mushrooms in a creamy sauce. Abbi had something delicious (Tortellini La Creama) which looked like a creamy chicken / pasta in a hotpot. She could not taste any chicken but it was yum! Cristian had something similar but he could not remember the name ‘Fettuccinicasa something’, and he also confirms it was delicious. They all complained the food was too hot (we were rushing to get back to work…. ) and the service was a tad bit on the slow side.
I have just received an email with a complaint saying the bread rolls were too crusty and left lots of crumbs – but I loved that bit! They were proper European crusty rolls and left me wanting more. . . .
Would I go again? Oh yes !! This is the perfect place for a long leisurely lunch or even dinner. Its the kind of place I would like to visit for a birthday dinner or even Valentines.
They have a private room at the back of the restaurant which looks amazing with these fake metal bars that make it look almost like a prison cell. But, very Spanishy and next time you go there in a little group, ask for the private area. It really looks like its a place where the ‘real Godfather’ would sit to have a private meeting (I am trying not to say the ‘M’ word)
AND through the corner of my beady eye, I saw a little glimpse of the Spanish hot temper lash out in the form of a little interaction. Our favourite butler brought in two gentlemen to a table next to us, and they were unhappy to be served by him. The owner came to their table in a flash and personally took their order, and said something in quiet undertones to our Butler which wasn’t very pleasant. The body language and the interaction was quite something, and specially since those two guys walked off without paying for their meal, with just a quick wave to the owner.
Suggestion: Keep your eyes about you when you go there and there’s lots to see !! For those oblivious to all this, its a pleasant restaurant
‘It was like being back home’ Cristian says and yes, it really has an authentic European thing about it. It was busy, but it wasn’t packed ‘solid’. Did anyone notice the lack of women guests in this restaurant?
Breakfast at Marcellos
Posted by: calgaryjustice on: October 10, 2008
- In: Breakfast
- 2 Comments
Is obviously not comparable to Breakfast at Tiffany’s but for Calgary, its fantastic!
The Marcello’s Breakfast / Coffee is very European style of course, with a wide choice of Croissants, Pain Au Chocolate, Danish Pastries in a choice of flavours, Large Cookies, ginormous Muffins in a variety of flavours, Fruit and the list goes on. But for those Europeans thinking about home at the sound of this, beware. . . these are European style pastries made by Non-Europeans, so the taste, texture is very very different.
The Danish Pastries are a bit cakey, so not the usual flaky Danish that I prefer and the centre fillings are not very appetising either. But, they are not bad tasting. The Cinnamon bun is very English style – with lots of bread and the Crossaints are pretty small in their size. BUT its all freshly baked !
I would recommend the Muffins and the Pain Au Chocolate as the best on their menu.
Theres a huge variety of Coffee and drinks, including fresh milk and cream. Try the Swiss Mocha and Hot Chocolate mix – and the Hazelnut and Hot Chocolate mix – they are amazing and worth dying for! Simply pick up an appropriate size paper-cup and help yourself.
Be inventive, try out new flavours and don’t be afraid to mix them up!! We have been going there for nearly 2 weeks now, and I have never come back with the same mix - its been great fun trying out lots of mixes and flavours.
The best part – its cheaper than Starbucks and Tim Hortons – yet, Marcello Hot Chocolate is THE BEST !
For under a Fiver you could have a Coffee, a Croissant AND a Muffin and still have change left over! You could not buy a plain coffee in London for this price . . .
Get there early to get the best of the pick !!
Will I go there again? Yes of course.
The Palomino
Posted by: calgaryjustice on: October 3, 2008
- In: Burgers | Canadian Cuisine | Pub Food
- 1 Comment
109 – 7th Avenue SW, Calgary – visited on 3 October 2008
It is Alex Badeev’s last day with us today. We had originally planned on going to Redwater, but we were disappointed yet again, when they told us on Tuesday that they could not offer us a table. We are told that we must book a table at least 4 weeks in advance if we want to go there on a Friday afternoon. I sincerely hope it is worth the wait !!
Anyhow, we all trotted along to The Palomino today instead. It came highly recommended by Lily, and it was visited by Alex, Taras, Cristian, Lil, Diane, Lily, Natasha and I (Ginni).
The location is not fantastic, in fact I would not suggest walking up there on your own. Safety in numbers for this place!! It is very run down, and the front entrance has definitely seen some better days. I would not be surprised if someone told me that the front door has been kicked in a few times, as that would explain the marks on the bottom half of the door. Its definitely past the authentic stage!
When you walk in, the interior (for a Londoner like me) is definitely like its out of a western movie! It has a lot of Cowboy memorabilia on the walls, albeit not the sophisticated type. I would class it as an old Cowboy tavern that has seen better days. You can definitely visualise some good fighting that has taken place in this restaurant. A few tell tale broken benches and chairs speak volumes!
There’s a funky sign as you enter that reads ; ‘NO TRESSPASSING Violators will be shot. Survivors will be shot again’.
The only thing unauthentic thing was that the Bar Manager (who had the broken teeth and rough neck look about him) was wearing a baseball cap instead of a Cowboy hat. How disappointing !!
Anyways, the food – real Canadian Cowboy grub. Not the place to go if you are on a diet !
The Cheeseburger looked fab and I am told, it was fantastic. The Brisket was ‘wow’ and the Half Chicken looked absolutely scrumptious. I had the Salmon fillet (since I am on a diet) with some caesar salad. Its not the place to have ordered the Salmon and salad, I know, but there was nothing else to choose from that was not less than a million calories!!
The salmon had not been deboned very well and the Caesar salad was smothered in sauce, which had tons of mustard and Cajun fried croutons. If you like the heavy stodgy salads, it was perfect!
The side order of grilled vegetables were measly and for $22 you would have expected a bit more of substance. The meat eaters loved their food.
Overall, my opinion is that the food was slightly expensive for what it was. Yes, it was fresh but still, there was something missing.
The place is extremely noisy, with an open kitchen. Open kitchen always signifies clean food, and I have to say it was hygienic and clean alright! I could not hear myself speak in the noise, and it wasn’t the kind of noise that makes a place buzz. It just felt like….noise!
Would I go there again? Possibly over a weekend, when I have guests over from the UK wanting to see something real Canadian and different. But, definitely NOT alone, and most definitely always in Jeans!! I know my husband would love it as its more of a ‘man’s restaurant/pub’. If you want delicacy, its the wrong place for you.
An average meal would cost around $20-$25
The Glory of India – revisited
Posted by: calgaryjustice on: September 26, 2008
- In: Buffet | Indian
- Leave a Comment
I cannot believe it is the last Friday of September 08 already. . . Whilst everyone is at the Conference, (Calgary and Banff), we decided to revisit one of our popular restaurants. I had not been to this restaurant before, and we had such a good feedback from the first visit, I just HAD to visit.
Am I glad I did? Now, that’s a different story!
Who went with us this time? Well, we had Natasha, Alison, Elizabeth, Lil and I (Ginni). The restaurant atmosphere was hectic, busy with the basic philosophy of ‘eat, pay and go’.
My opinion – money making machine for the restaurant owners with basic facilities; not the kind of restaurant where you can sit down, chat and have a long lunch/dinner – a bit like sitting in the food court of a shopping centre, only in an enclosed environment. I know others may not agree with me, but this was my first visit to an Indian restaurant in Canada!
Food: Everyone liked the food, and they had been to the restaurant before, so they knew what they liked and wanted. I had to try the butter chicken again as it was too spicy to figure out the first time round. So, I went back for the second time to get some more butter chicken and naan bread. Dessert – everyone liked their rice pudding as the other items were way too sweet.
My opinion: Did I enjoy it? Yes, it was good to go out and have an indian curry that I had not made!
Am I over-critical ? possibly, but I am spoilt to the tastes of Bombay Brasserie ; the Cinnamon Bar and the Star of India (owned by a friend - Reza Mohammed – famous Chef, TV Presenter and Restaurateur).
The food here was full of artificial colours and flavourings, left over chicken was thrown into a butter chicken sauce (sweetened by mango puree instead of the real flavours) and re-fried left over rice from the night before.
I asked for plain yoghurt as the food was too spicy for me, and I was given a small bowl of flavoured yoghurt sauce! They did not have fresh plain yoghurt, which I found bizarre, as EVERY indian restaurant (and household) uses fresh plain yoghurt. *sigh*
Yes, the food is spicy but THATS not what Indian food is about! Indian food is not supposed to be spiced with just red chilli powder. But this is a buffet, you would say. Unfortunately, these guys use the buffet as a means to get rid of their left overs from the night before. They just dress it up with some fresh things and recook. A form of recycling I suppose.
Drinks: A virgin Caesar would set you back $5 – not worth it!
Meal Cost: $17 (don’t expect a smile or a thank you from the restaurant owner!)
Would I go again? No
Would the others go again? Most probably yes.
Fourth and Fourth
Posted by: calgaryjustice on: September 18, 2008
- In: Burgers | Favourites | Pub Food | Salads
- Leave a Comment
This was our second visit to Fourth and Fourth, and we were not disappointed. There were 6 of us on this visit including Lil Tucker, Lynda Purdy, Lin Snowden, Cristian, Cristian’s sister and Ginni.
We ALL loved our food ranging from a Steak Sandwich, Thai Salad, Soup of the day, Special Burger and Spinach and Salmon Salad. I would only say that there were too many sundried tomatoes in my Salmon Salad. But if you like a lot of sundried tomatoes, you would love it!
Would we go there again? Most definitely YES. This seems to be one of our favourites!
